


Good Intentions

by jayhood



Series: Old Feelings [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Accidental Incest, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, F/M, Family, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24964918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayhood/pseuds/jayhood
Summary: After Bruce almost loses his life fighting the Joker and completely loses his memories, his old guardian decides it would be better if his children, still leading vigilante life, stayed away for his sake.That made Bruce's life less dangerous, sure. But it also opened him up to a threat nobody could have predicted.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain
Series: Old Feelings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806856
Comments: 26
Kudos: 72





	1. Dick

Dick is with Babs when Alfred calls. Something not unlike anxiety spikes in his gut. It's probably nothing. Bruce Wayne is a new man now, far away from any crime-fighting or hero-ing. In a mask, at least. Dick saw good things about Martha Wayne Foundation in the press.

So it's highly unlikely that Bruce got himself in another pickle that Nightwing is needed again.

But Alfred was clear when he told them all to stay away. Even if them being around won't trigger the return of Bruce's memories, he's a smart guy, he will figure them all out eventually. He's going to know who he was, and feel guilty that he isn't, now, and proceed to remedy it.

Batman was killing Bruce in a more literal sense than it was killing them to stay away, so they complied. Dick texted Alfred once a week or so, just to make sure Bruce's health was improving, and he was doing alright, overall. He did, Alfred assured him with pride in his voice. Bruce got serious about Wayne Enterprises, and what little free time he had left, it was spent volunteering in one of the shelters or community centers he built in Gotham. Even without his memories, the drive to help people himself, be involved, stayed true. 

Hearing that made something to ease inside of Dick. Sometimes, in the darkest hours of Batman and Nightwing's partnership, Dick was unsettled by him. Scared, almost, of becoming him. It was before Tim showed up, and after Damian was gone. It passed. But a part of him wondered.

So he was glad to know he was wrong.

Even more glad to hear that Bruce did not keep himself isolated anymore. He talked with civilian personas of Clark and Diana, even made a new friend at the community center.

Kept trying to call them, too, until he stopped abruptly, texting he's sorry for whatever he did, he will give them space, and he's always going to be there for them if they wanted to. That actually hurt, though, on several different levels.

But overall, Bruce seemed fine.

And now Alfred was calling him first.

"Yes, Alfred, what's up?" he says, picking up.

Barbara does a double-take, rolling her chair away from the computer table.

He smiles, a knee-jerk reaction. She smiles back, reassuringly. Whatever it is, they will get through it together.

"I wonder if you are free tomorrow, Master Richard," Alfred says. "And if you are, would you like to meet."

Dick can't read anything by his tone. So he goes through what's being said. Tomorrow, then it's nothing extremely pressing. No immediate danger, at least.

And he asks to meet, and not to come to the Manor, which means he doesn't want Bruce to know. So the ban is probably not being lifted anytime soon.

"Okay," he says. "Am I the only one invited? Or..."

Alfred hesitates.

"I am not sure if I should bring this matter to their attention," Alfred confesses. "I..."

It's a rare moment when Alfred is at the loss of words. Dick doesn't like it.

"Look, if it helps? Damian already hates you. And Tim is going to find out anyway, whatever it is. He's like Bruce in that way. And it seems unfair to keep Cass out of the loop."

"I am aware of Master Damian's feelings on the matter. I am not afraid that his disdain for me will get even worse. I am sure of it." Alfred waits for a second before continuing gravely. "I might have made a mistake in my judgment."

That pit in Dick's stomach comes back with retaliation. 

"We will figure it out," he promises to Alfred. "Whatever it is, we will deal with it together. As a family."

The next day, they all are in the city, at the diner nobody was before in, even knew it existed. But Alfred seems to be a regular here. When he sits down at their table, he looks around as though he expects to see some old friends. When the waitress, "Hi! Call me Faye. What can I getcha today?" comes by to get their orders, Alfred names the dishes without looking at the menu.

They do not start talking-talking before their orders get there, and they pick up the utensils. Nobody is really eating, except Damian who hit that phase when you're constantly hungry and angry and sad and excited and everything else that comes hand-in-hand with being a teenager. If Dick thought it's hard to keep up with him when they were playing the part of Dynamic Duo the first time, it's nothing compared to this. It took Dick about a month to completely forgive everything Bruce put him through.

"So," Dick starts. "You said you were thinking you made a mistake, when we spoke on the phone. Can you elaborate?"

Alfred sighs in a very un-Alfred manner.

"I still stand by my decision to keep Batman out of his life. He gave this city enough. However... I might have underestimated how vulnerable it would make him."

Damian stops chewing. Tim says,

"Vulnerable how? Did someone attack him? Someone who knew about him? Nygma, Dent, Kyle? Is he being blackmailed?"

"I believe he is being exploited by someone aware of his previous identity. But not in a sense you are thinking of."

"Explain." Damian shoves the knife almost to Alfred's face before Dick bats his hand away. 

The kid elbows him in the ribs and starts chewing again, angrily.

"Your father," Alfred says. "Loves you very much. He struggles to express himself..."

Tim mutters, "Understatement," under his breath. Cass is the one who elbows him in the ribs.

"But I always could see how important you are for him, even so. I am sorry that keeping you apart has caused you grief. At the time, I believed it is the only way to ensure his safety. His happiness, perhaps. Yet, I did not count just how much your love meant for him. Without you, he was lonely to the degree I couldn't have imagined. I always thought he was... more self-sufficient than that. Content in solitude."

"But he's not," Dick says. "So, is it depression? Something worse? You never told me anything like that when I asked you for updates. You said he's doing fine. Found himself a purpose and a cause, less likely to kill him this time. You said he even made a friend!"

"Yes," Alfred repeats grimly. "A  _ friend _ ."

Damian stops eating. Cass cocks her head slightly. Tim crosses his arms.

"So, someone of the Gotham’s lamest, knowing who Bruce is, preyed on his feelings of loneliness and pretended to be his friend to..."

"I do not know what end," Alfred shakes his head. "I'm afraid I stopped even wondering that goes on in his head anymore. For all that's worth, he did not use their budding relationships to place Master Bruce in danger or use his money."

"So who it is?" Dick asks, losing patience. 

He wants to know the name, and he's out of here to hunt the rogue down and put him behind the bars again. Or Arkham. Depends on who it is. He doesn't want to sit here and indulge Alfred's pity party.

He realizes that he's angry with Alfred, on Bruce's behalf. Huh. That never happened before.

"It's Jason Todd," Tim says suddenly, looking at Alfred unblinkingly. "Isn't it?"

Damian is ready to go right there and then. 

They don't know  _ where _ , though. The only thing Alfred knows about him for sure, it's he met Bruce in the community center where he's under not particularly deep cover: he's playing at being a tutor (Dick shudders thinking about Red Hood being allowed near kids; Damian rubs his collarbone, where he still has a bullet scar). But he uses his real name for it.

Overconfidence killed Jason already once, but Dick for once glad the leopard can't change his spots.

Tim points out that they can't sneak around the center. Not only they can meet Bruce there, they could spook Jason as well. And cornered, Red Hood is that much more dangerous.

So Dick suggests that maybe they have to go another way. Make Bruce less susceptible to whatever Jason uses to manipulate him.

"He missed us, right?" he asks, looking around the group. "So we - come back. Not move to the Manor completely, it would be tough to keep our night lives a secret from him then. But, a little?" He looks at Alfred, promising. "We will be careful. We will."

Alfred only nods. There are some risks you just have to take when it's obvious that being one hundred percent save is not a viable option.

Damian perks up at that. But Tim shakes his head.

"It would be suspicious if we just showed up after hiding from him for six months."

Cass comes up with the solution.

"He thinks I live in Hong Kong," she says slowly. "But I come back. We have a party. I want him there. So we get together at the Manor."

"Oh, a surprise welcome back party! That's great, that could actually work," Dick drums his fingers. "Alfred, is it possible to set up tonight?"

Alfred looks like Dick had just insulted him. Dick nods, very well.

"And in the meantime, I will ask Babs to look into it from her side."

The decision made, they split up. Cass goes with Tim, they need to find her appropriate luggage and set up a paper trail, like she indeed just arrived at the States and wasn't one hour away in Bludhaven all along. Alfred goes back to the Manor to prepare dinner. Damian comes back home with Dick and spends the rest of the day on the phone with Jon, ranting, then bantering, then Dick decides that he should stop listening if he values his sanity. He needs to talk to his girlfriend, anyway.

Barbara seems to be dubious about Alfred's story.

"I will check the center's records," she says. "But... Look. I haven't told you about it before because you weren't there yet, and after... I did not want to. But when the time came to bring Damian back, I tried to reach Red Hood. We didn't hear from him since he and Bruce went to Africa to chase some gun runners. Bruce came back, Red Hood didn't. He didn't step foot in Gotham after that, didn't return my messages. I couldn't track him around the globe anymore either. So I bit the bullet and called Arsenal."

Dick frowns.

"He still on the same team with the Hood?"

"That's the thing! He isn't. Roy said that Red Hood is gone. Died in Ethiopia."

"Did you tell Bruce?"

"Tell him what, what yet another son of his is dead? Again? Besides, if that was true, then he should have been there. They left for Ethiopia together."

"So that tracks. Something happened there, maybe he got injured, blamed Bruce again, got back for revenge."

Barbara shakes her head. 

"I don't know."

Dick shrugs. Why Red Hood is doing what he does never mattered to him as much as what he's doing, and to whom. 

So he leaves Babs to her research, and goes to change. They have to be at the Manor in an hour.

Then they arrive, Tim and Cass are already there. Cass helps with party decorations, which means Bruce is not home yet. She looks more fashionable than usual: pegged leg trousers with suspenders, a hat. He flashes her a thumbs-up, she smiles back.

"Stephanie chose it," she says. "Street fashion?"

"Nice," Dick says.

It is nice that the girls are talking again. 

He wants to ask more. They rarely talk anymore, with every one of them operating out of their own Caves. But there's a car coming up in the driveway, so they all quickly sit down at the table, and Alfred goes to meet Bruce.

"Ah, Master Bruce!" They hear Alfred saying, opening the doors. "Your timing is... perfect."

He ends his greeting faintly. Dick sees everyone tense, just like he does. He waves them away and gets up from the table to go check if Alfred needs a back-up. 

He hears Bruce respond before he turns the corner.

"Thank you?" he sounds slightly confused. "But you are right. I thought it is about time you two met."

Dick speeds up, and he is just in time to see Jason Todd smile shyly and give Alfred his hand for the handshake.

"Bruce told me a lot about you," he says. "I'm Jason."

Damn, he's a better actor than Dick gave him credit for. It sounds sincere.

Dick scowls. That same moment Bruce notices him, his expression a mix of shock, pleasure and... embarrassment? Bruce drops his hand from where it was resting on Jason's lower back and takes a step away.

"Dick," he says. 

Jason's smile becomes a little strained when Bruce leaves him behind  _ and  _ Alfred does not take his hand, and instead says dryly,

"I will take your jacket, Mister Todd."

Jason looks past Alfred to Dick as well. He frowns like he's hurt by whatever he sees on Dick's face. Dick isn't even sure himself. He just opens his arms up to Bruce and says, gently.

"Hey, old man."

Bruce hesitates before stepping into the hug. His hands reach Dick's back too, barely there, like he's afraid of crushing Dick if he let himself.

Dick looks over his shoulder back to Jason, who snorts and shuffles himself out of his leather jacket and doesn't give it to Alfred.

"Just point me to your coat closet," he says, low, pointing his chin toward Bruce and Dick. "Let's give them a minute."

Alfred makes a gesture,  _ very well, follow me _ . They leave, and it's finally safe to look at Bruce again.

Dick lets go.

"We wanted to surprise Cass," he says. "She never told us she's moving back to Gotham, only to Steph. That's her girlfriend. Or a friend who is also a girl, I'm not sure if they are  _ there  _ yet."

"We?" Bruce's breath hitches. "Everyone else is here, too?"

"Yes, well. Your place kinda the only one big enough for us all. I didn't think you would mind, but right now I think we should have called ahead."

"No, no, that's fine," Bruce says quickly. "More than fine. Truth be told, I wanted you all to meet Jay anyway, so. Now is an as good time as any."

"Meet... Jay?" Dick makes a show of frowning. "Bruce... Who do you think Jason is?"

Bruce's eyes narrow at that. He caught the phrasing, of course.

He doesn't have time to respond because Jason comes back, sans Alfred, and comes closer to Bruce. Like, real close, shoulders-touching close. If their fingers twitch, they will be  _ holding hands _ -close.

"Hey," he says, looking at Bruce and smiling. "I don't think I told you my last name, Bruce, but your father seems to know it anyway. Should I be worried?"

Bruce smiles back and sways lightly into Jason's side.

"Jason," Dick says slowly. "Who do  _ you  _ think you are?"

Bruce frowns.

"Please, don't be rude to my guest," he says, sounding so much as Bruce as he hadn’t for a long time now.

"That's okay," Jason says. "Really. You guys had your... Ups and downs. And here your son is, reaching out to you first, but you have some rough-looking boy-toy with you. It's a lot to take in."

"Don't refer to yourself this way ever again," Bruce says harshly, and now he sounds so much like Batman, Dick laughs hysterically.

"What is this," he says incredulously. "Are you for real? Did I get it right? Are you  _ together _ ?"

Jason shoves his hands to his pockets.

"Look, Bruce, I think you should go talk to your family, and I should go. My shift is going to start soon."

"You told me you're off the clock today," Bruce frowns, looking at Dick accusingly.

Like  _ Dick  _ is a bad guy here.

"Yeah, well, I got a phone call when I was hanging up my stuff. One of the guys at the door was arrested earlier, they need me there."

"Dick," Bruce says not-quite-sternly to him. "I'm glad to see you. I'm glad your siblings are here. But please, give me a moment to speak with Jay alone."

"No," Dick says. "No. You don't realize how fucked up this is."

"Dick."

"Okay, I'm out."

Jason turns on his heels and goes, and part of Dick is glad, hell yeah, get the fuck out. Part of him wants to jump at Jason to keep him in his place with his fists.

He's almost at the door when Bruce shoots Dick a pissed-off look ("He will thank me later," Dick thinks) and lunges after Jason. He catches him by the hand and turn him around and kisses him deeply.

Dick wants to throw up.

Jason breaks the kiss almost right away. His breath is short, eyes glassy.

"Don't do that again," he says, low. 

Bruce immediately lets go of him and steps back, ashamed. Jason's face softens. He breathes deeply and touches Bruce's face.

"Look. I just don't - react well when people grab me. That's all. But, really. You should go be with your family. Just... call me, yeah? Later. Or. I don't know. See you Saturday. Maybe."

The door is closed behind him. Dick is left standing here, astonished, a little sick, a lot angry.

Whatever they had suspected Red Hood's plan was, it was  _ so much worse _ . Oh god, what is he going to say to the rest of his siblings? He shouldn't have brought them into this. Alfred, he thinks dumbly,  _ knew _ . Or suspected.

He stands there, mind racing, while Bruce with visible effort puts himself together.

"I am glad to see you, Dick," he says evenly. "I am. Not speaking with you or your siblings were a torture to me. I don't remember what I have done, what I did for all of you to stay away..."

"Nothing," Dick says, helplessly. "We told you, it's not that. Tim's just busy with, with his project in San Francisco, and I'm with work, and Cass was out of the country and Damian, well..."

"I'm not stupid, Dick," Bruce sighs. "No matter how foolishly and irresponsibly I conducted myself in the past. I know I wasn't a good father for him, and that's why he chose to live with you. I know I must have done something to all of you. And I'm glad - I'm grateful you're all being willing to give me another chance."

He says it so softly, so quietly, not even looking at Dick but at his hands. Then he holds his head higher and looks straight in Dick's eye.

"But you shouldn't treat Jason like that."

"God," Dick says, closing his eyes for a minute. "You don't even know. He's not who you think he is."

"No, I know him. I know him for three months. It's you who met him tonight and decided to pick a fight about it. I think I understand why."

"Yeah?" Dick peeks at him.

Bruce nods.

"My choice of partners in the past was... Not something I'm proud of, as far as I know my own dating history. And you think it's the same story with Jason. That he's just using me for money or notoriety. But he isn't. He's the most selfless person I know. He leads a hard life, and he still tries to do good with what little he has. He never asked me for anything except maybe to talk to him when I was... feeling down."

"You can't date him," Dick says.

But he realizes that he can't tell him why.

Jason Todd is your dead son who is also your nemesis. Even if they tell him only one of these things, chances are he adds one plus one and gets Batman in the result.

No, they need to be sneaky about it.

Dick stops Bruce just outside the dining room.

"Wash your hands," he says. "Alfred is going to serve you a plate."

"Serve me?" Bruce frowns. "I'm a man grown."

Yeah, sometimes Dick wondered about that.

Bruce complies, though, and that gives Dick a little time to confer with his siblings.

"You heard?" he asks, strolling into the room.

He takes it all in. Damian has his cheek resting on his fists, stabbing the cake on his plate with a fork viciously. Cassandra's face is overly emotive when she's talking to you. What she can't convey with words, she tries to communicate with her expressions and body language. Now, she's withdrawn into herself so much it seems like she still has her Black Bat mask on. Alfred, he notes with the muted surprise, is sitting at the table too.

Tim is the only one to respond.

"Some," he gestures with his hand. "Alfred briefed us on the rest."

Dick shakes his head.

"Man, I knew Jason is messed up. But this..."

"We don't have time for this, Dick," Tim stops him. "We can't react  _ now _ . What we need is a plan."

"I  _ had  _ a plan," Damian says sullenly. He looks up at Tim, eyes blazing. "I had a knife  _ right here _ , and I could have ended it right then!"

"Bruce wouldn't like it," Tim says.

"He doesn't know..."

"He wouldn't like it even if he remembered. But remember, we don't want anything that may trigger Bruce's memories. Alright?" Tim explains patiently. "And witnessing you murder his b-boyfriend... Or if you decide to do it without witnesses. Even if you make it seem like an accident or natural causes. That's going to raise questions for Bruce. And it's going to be Batman who answers them."

Damian grinds his teeth. Dick sits on his right, hugging him slightly. For a second, Damian's back relaxes but in the next, he's shrugging Dick off and shoves the cake in his mouth.

"Do you have a plan?" Dick raises his eyebrow at Tim.

It seems like he does, with how cool and collected he looks. Of course, Tim didn't have to see their father kissing his psychotic brother. On the lips. 

"Just a rough draft," Tim shakes his head. "We can't out Jason as Red Hood without outing ourselves and Batman. We can't tell him that Jason is his son Jason, because  _ that  _ Jason? Dead."

"People come back though."

"Sure. But see it this way: what will it do to Bruce if he realizes..."

Tim trails off.

Bruce enters the room.

And stops, just after a step. He looks them all over, quickly, at first, then he lets himself linger, cataloging all the details. It's the first time Bruce sees him after the "accident", Dick remembers. Would be great for Damian if he showed some happiness.

Instead, Bruce looks hesitant, like he's not quite sure what to do with them. What he is allowed to say, here.

Cass breaks the tension, sliding up to Bruce and hugging him fiercely. 

"Sorry," she not quite whispers. "Should have come back sooner. I was afraid... Sorry."

He returns the hug just as awkwardly as before, with Dick. Cass just hugs him harder.

When they let go and Bruce's hands go to her shoulders, he has a small smile as he looks at her.

"The most important thing, you're here. All of you," he says, looking at Tim, at Damian, even meeting Dick's eye. "I know I wasn't the best father for you... You were right to stay away."

Tim says, reluctantly, just as Bruce comes up to his chair.

"I honestly was tied-up, in Rhode Island."

Thing is, that's true, only Tim refuses to meet Bruce's eyes and nobody uses "honestly" unless what comes next out of their mouth is a lie.

Bruce visibly hesitates, his hand comes up and down before it settles briefly on Tim's shoulder. Tim grimaces. Dick suspects it's because he got injured recently. But for Bruce, it's a sign to take a step back, and then another.

At last, he comes up to Damian.

Damian doesn't even look at him.

"I'm here only for Grayson," he says. "And the cake."

Bruce nods, sad, ashamed.

"I'm glad he’s there for you," he says, briefly meeting Dick's eyes and then looking back at Damian even if he must know Damian won't look back. "From what I've been told, or figured out, he was more of a father to you than I. But... I would really like to change that."

Damian shrugs.

"You can't change the past," he says. "You did okay, though. When you were there."

"I promise I'm going to be there for all of you more, now."

"Will you? Between your work, you, caring for some other hapless orphans, and the new harlot you seem to acquire... Could be a feat."

It's like a switch. Gentle, contrite Bruce is gone without even a puff of smoke. Bruce used to be the same way when Dick said something about Talia. Or Selina, before they even were a thing (oh god, Selina, what she will have to say about this? Jason is going to be lucky if she doesn’t maim him permanently. Dick decides to try to bring her in). His stubborn expression lasts only for a moment, though, because he shakes his head.

"Nothing could be more important to me than any of my children."

That's when Damian finally looks up at him.

"I know for a fact that's untrue."

Thank god for Alfred. He chooses this moment to come in, with a plate for Bruce and for himself, and more food.

The conversation is stilted. Bruce asks them questions, where do they work, where do they live, what did they do today. For Bruce to not know all of this already feels wrong. All of them except for Damian answer to the best of their abilities. It allows Bruce to ask them more calibrated questions. They are strangers to him, Dick thinks. But he is honest in his desire to know them, to mend whatever rifts he imagines. It makes him realize they should have agreed on the story beforehand. Rehearsed it, maybe. All they have now are guidelines. 

In a way, it gets easier when Tim asks Bruce to tell them about Jason.

"I know it must be weird for you," Bruce says.

Dick snorts. What part of it Bruce thinks is weird he wonders. That it's a man when Bruce never before expressed that he could be interested in something other than the opposite gender, especially when it could have mattered the most when Dick was a teen? That he's younger than Dick for, what, four or five years, and only older than Tim for three? Not to mention it's Jason, though Bruce doesn't know exactly what it means.

"But I assure you, his place in my life and yours are completely separate categories."

"That's not..." Damian starts, then changes his mind halfway through the phrase. "What Drake is asking. Are you serious about him?"

Bruce looks at Alfred, maybe just to get his help to stop this line of questioning. He was so happy to see Dick, he realizes, that he didn't think how ill-timed the introduction would have been, should Jason not left.

But now he knows and doesn't want to respond.

True to Dick's assessment, he hedges.

"I've met him only a couple of months ago."

Dick can't quite hide his grimace.

Bruce changes the topic.

"Any of you, do you have someone special in your life?"

Tim shakes his head. Cassandra hesitates but in the end, does too, and looks at Dick.

He tells Bruce about Barbara. It warms his heart a little, that in the end, his stories about her makes Bruce smile. He doesn't know Barbara now but still looks happy she exists.

Damn. Bruce looking happy. Dick forgot how it looked like.

"I would like to meet her someday, too," Bruce says to him.

"And we all would love to meet Jason," Tim interferes. "Right, guys?"

Cass nods readily. Damian does so reluctantly. Dick sighs and says.

"Yes, we would. How about tomorrow? Then I can apologize to him. I may have... overacted."

Bruce does not quite buy his sudden change of heart, so thank god for Alfred, who says.

"It's only understandable that you worry someone is going to take advantage of your father, in his state."

"I'm not mentally incapacitated," Bruce says. "Only in need to make new memories."

"That's... an unusually positive way of thinking," Tim blinks.

Bruce tries to hide his smile.

"Jay taught me that. He went through something similar. It was more of a form of therapy for him, though."

"He had some of his memories removed?" Dick asks dubiously. 

Sounds right out of science fiction. Eternal sunshine of something.

Bruce nods, though.

"Yes, but it was an experimental treatment. So the partial removal didn't take. He had to go all the way."

"I never heard of an experiment like that," Damian says.

Dick and Tim exchange glances. Dick's is " _ Can you believe he used that bullshit to bond with Bruce? _ ". Tim's is " _ I don't  _ know _ , I need more information _ ."

Tim also replies to Damian.

"You're thirteen, you don't know anything."

"There are new discoveries happening every day," Alfred says neutrally.

Now, after Dick's handling of the situation (which wasn't the best if they actually wanted to thwart Jason's plan with Bruce none the wiser. He would like to see anyone handling it better), Bruce has at least two people he can talk about Jason with. Maybe Cass, too.

"Lunch tomorrow?" she suggests, placing her hand on Bruce's.

He shakes his head. 

"I would like to spend more time with all of you first," he says. "I don't know you. But I know I missed you."

It makes something sharp in Dick's chest to fade away. Tim and Damian are smiling now, too.

"Shall I arrange for dinner on Saturday?" Alfred suggest.

"I need to check with him first," Bruce hesitates. "But yes. If he's free and willing... That would be great. Bring Barbara too, Dick. And Steph, Cassandra, if you want to."

"You remember Steph?" she asks, eyes wide with worry.

Bruce shakes his head ruefully. 

"Dick mentioned her. Sorry."

It makes them breathe a little easier. Cassandra nods too.

"I will ask her, too."

After the food is gone, and Cass goes upstairs to unpack, Dick and Damian starts to get ready to go home. Bruce asks them both if he can hug them goodbye, and Dick's glad. It means that even if he's mad at Dick for Jason, he still cares about him more.

Damian looks very awkward when Bruce hugs him. It makes Dick try to remember any instances he saw Bruce doing it before, and he can't. 

After, Bruce coughs and looks at Tim.

"Are you... Do you have to go too?"

"Actually," Tim says, a little timid. "Is it alright if I stay? I flew into Gotham today, didn't even have time to book a hotel room. And I sold my condo when I moved to Happy Harbour."

"Of course," Bruce hastens to reply. "This is your home, too. At least, I hope you would consider it so."

"Great," Tim says. "Then I need to unpack as well. Thanks!"

He runs up the stairs, skipping two or three steps on his way. 

Damn. Dick expected that tonight they all could gather at Dick's apartment, get a take-out, and brainstorm. He hopes Tim knows what he's doing.


	2. Jason pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First morning after.

There was warmth at his back, but his front was strangely cold. That was enough to make Jason go from zero to thirty, full-body flinching as he was propelled forward. The heavy hand resting over his stomach fell down, and Bruce sat in the bad also. His eyes traced all the same points in the room Jason’s did. Immediate space around the bed, the door, windows. His muscles were coiled. He did not, however, put his hand under the pillow, looking for something that had no place to be there, and so it wasn’t.

For a second Bruce looked back at him, inching away, wary, as though he was expecting Jason to pull the gun out and shoot him point-blank in the face. Then, in a blink, the worry lines on his face became visible. He took Jason’s face in hands.

“What’s wrong?”

Jason shook his head, pulling away from him.

“Just. Not how I expected to wake up, that’s all.”

“Should I leave? If I overstepped, staying the night…”

The hesitation in Bruce’s voice sounded wrong to Jason’s ears. He pulled boxers on, turning away from the man, and crossed the floor to his kitchenette, turning the coffee pot on. Belatedly, he responded.

“No. It was, um, nice. That you stayed. Let’s do it again sometime.”

“Yeah?” Bruce asked, coming closer.

Now, he didn’t sound unsure. His hands were still gentle when he hugged Jason from behind, so Jason could escape it without a fuss. Jason leaned back into him, though. Breathed in his smell. Turned his head a little, just to touch Bruce cheek to cheek. It burned a little. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was new.

“You need to shave,” he murmured without thinking.

Bruce probably needed a lot of things. Like take a shower and go home, to tend to whatever billionaires without a job did if they weren’t serving food at a homeless shelters. Which, to be fair, Jason didn’t think billionaires normally did at all. 

"You don't," Bruce traced his face with his finger. Jason playfully bit him but let go when Bruce spoke next. "This is going to sound awkward. But how old are you?"

"Seriously?" Jason asked incredulously. Only a little of it was played up as he tried to remember what year it was on his ID. “Isn’t it something you ask before you sleep for someone?”

"I mean, I know you are at least eighteen, otherwise you wouldn't be able to participate in Big Brother program."

"I don't look that young."

“No,” Bruce agreed, and Jason didn’t know whether to be offended or amused.

“I’m twenty-two,” he said. “You?”

“Fifty, apparently. Which boggles my mind. When I woke up six months ago, I thought I was not even twenty.”

“So, you’re mentally younger than me? And here I was worried if I’m your mid-life crisis.”

“No,” Bruce answered simply, kissing his hair. “You’re not that.”

The coffee was ready, so Bruce had to let Jason go, with some reluctance. When Jason passed him the cup, he was worried for a second that Bruce was going to kiss him. That’s what people did, right? But Bruce just smiled gratefully and took a seat beside Jason’s.

“So,” Jason said. “What were you doing at not quite twenty?”

Bruce took his time to answer.

“Not much,” he said eventually. “I dropped out of college not so long ago. Wanted to travel the world. Learn things that way.”

“School of life, huh?”

“You told me you were away from Gotham for a long time. Have you tried something like that?”

“Probably not like that,” Jason smiled into his cup. 

He didn’t think that what rich boys like Brucie Wayne must have been in his teenage years were like anything Outlaws did. Then again, there was Elysium Island.

“Why did you leave?”

“Why did you?” Jason says because he can’t answer. “You could have finished your degree. You don’t, okay, you’re not exactly hurting for money,” Bruce snorted. “So you don’t need a job. But that’s, still. College couldn’t be so bad, could it?”

“Did you attend?”

Finally, something Jason was sure about.

“No. But I would, probably, if I could. Maybe I wouldn’t have to work nights in seedy bars, knocking heads together.”

“Why do you work there, if you don’t like it?”

That startled a genuine laugh out of him.

“That’s such a rich boy answer, Bruce, I swear to god.”

“You’re smart. You can get into community college at least. Or, maybe some software engineering online classes. There are free resources.”

“Yeah,” Jason drawled. “I also can learn how to draw, and start working for commissions. Or in digital design, maybe.”

“Sure. If that’s what you want.”

Jason did a double take, but no, Bruce seemed sincere and earnest. So he tried to answer in turn.

“I don’t think it works like that. I can’t just do what I want. I don’t have time to learn new skills, when I have a job already, and also tutoring sessions at the community center. Plus, someone has to cook dinner, do laundry, clean the flat, go grocery shopping. After all that, not much time left, you know? I have to sleep, and some rest is nice as well.”

“But you could skip the tutoring, at least. Or rearrange chores so you don’t do it every day. Or…”

Jason put his cup down.

“I feel like you are judging me.”

"No, I just meant..."

"What, to encourage me? Give me advice from the point of extremely sheltered young adult in middle-aged body, who didn't have to work a day in his whole life? I mean, thanks, I guess. I don't think it's customary to be so far in someone's business after one-night stand, I almost flattered."

"Really?"

"What? No!"

"I mean, was it just a one-night stand for you?”

“That’s what you’re zeroing in on?” Yeah, it wasn’t going to work. “Look, I don’t think this is going to work.”

“I’m sorry,” Bruce said, helplessly.

And seeing his face open like that, Jason couldn’t even stay mad. He didn’t want Bruce to look like that.

“For what it’s worth,” he said. “I don’t think you’re a bad guy. We’re just… different, you know? You won’t be able to understand me. And you’re not in a hurry to let me know more about you. You asked me more questions than you answered.”

Bruce nodded jerkily and left. For some reason, for the rest of the day, Jason felt guilty. Was he too harsh on Bruce? But then he had to go to work, and there wasn’t much time to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, even when they didn't remember all the things they clashed about, the way they fit wasn't perfect.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Accidental incest is on both of their parts, neither Bruce nor Jason have their memories.  
> 2) When Jason was adopted, his last name was changed to Wayne. Bruce, reading up on his own past and his family, didn't dig too dip, and so he doesn't recognize Jason Todd as a name that should mean something to him.  
> His appearance changed quite a bit too.  
> 3) This is the best parent-version of Bruce I ever tried to write to date. What can you do?  
> 4) And yes, I took some liberties with timeline and canon as well. Jason never participated in Damian's resurrection, or anything that happened with Batfam after Ethiopia 2.0. Cass is mad at Steph because she didn't tell her she's alive. Tim is adopted but is over 18 and so he lives on his own, with Young Justice team. Dick is dating Babs, lives at Gotham to be Batman once again, takes care of Damian.
> 
> If there are other questions you want me to address, feel free to leave a comment or ask on [tumblr](https://redjaybathood.tumblr.com/).  
> Comments are appreciated in general, too!


End file.
